Personnel transfer capsule heating and insulation system

ABSTRACT

A personnel transfer capsule heating and insulation system comprising a syntactic foam insulation material, curved heating coils with the heating coils being separated from one another by the insulation material to give a maximum transfer capsule inside wall and hull temperature. The heater coils are curved to permit relative expansion and contraction between the insulation, personnel transfer capsule hull and heater coils. The insulation is precast in triangular spherical segments for installation on the exterior spherical surfaces of the capsule. A Thiokol-like material is used to bond the insulation to the exterior surface of the capsule. The method for attaching the heating and insulation system on the spherical surfaces of a personnel transfer capsule comprises the steps of: attaching the heating elements to the spherical surface of the capsule; applying an adhesive over the spherical surface of the capsule; applying a plurality triangular-shaped spherical segments edge to edge so that the edge of a segment is in parallel alignment with the edge of the adjacent segment.

United States Patent [1 1 McMahon et al.

[ 1 PERSONNEL TRANSFER CAPSULE HEATING AND INSULATION SYSTEM [75,] Inventors: Kenneth C. McMahon, San Jose;

1 Arthur C. Green, Felton; James J.

Pizzo; Earle W..Dickinson, both of San Jose, all of Calif.

[73] Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC.

[22] Filed: July 20, 1972 [211 Appl. No.: 273,564

[52] US. Cl 156/71, 52/82, 52/173, I 61/69 R,ll4/l6R,2l9/3ll [51] Int. Cl E04b 2/00 [58] Field of Search 219/311; 156/71; 52/82, 52/173;61/69 R; 114/16 R;l6l/l87 [56] 3 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,280,301 10/1966 Anderson et al. 219/311 X 3,343,324 I 9/1967 Gordon 61/69 R X 3.379.021 4/1968 Link 61/69 R 3.530.621 9/1970 Rutzebeck 52/81 2.991.213 7/1961 Williams 156/304 Apr. 9, 1974 Primary E\'mninerEdward G. Whitby Attorney, Agent, or F irm-R. S. Sciascia; Charles D. B. Curry [57] ABSTRACT A personnel transfer capsule heating and insulation system comprising a syntactic foam insulation material, curved heating coils with the heating coils being separated from one another by the insulation material to give a maximum transfer capsule inside wall and hull temperature. The heater coils are curved to permit relative expansion and contraction between the insulation, personnel transfer capsule hull and heater coils. The insulation is precast in triangular spherical segments for installation on the exterior spherical surfaces of the capsule. A Thiokol-like material is used to bond the insulation to the exterior surface of the capsule. The method for attaching the heating and insulation system on the spherical surfaces of a personnel transfer capsule comprises the steps of: attaching the heating elements to the spherical surface of the capsule; applying an adhesive over the spherical surface of the capsule; applying a plurality triangular-shaped spherical segments edge to edge so that the edge of a segment is in parallel alignment with the edge of the adjacent segment.

I 7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PERSONNEL TRANSFER CAPSULE HEATING AND INSULATION SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The subject matter of the present invention relates generally to a means for heating an enclosed capsule and more particularly a method for attaching a heating and insulation to a personnel transfer capsule.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior systems require the wearing of special environmental suits with electrical outlets to heat the suits.

This was extremely cumbersome, especially in the small quarters provided a personnel transfer capsule such as used in many of the deep submersible diving systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION to band the insulation to the exterior surface of the capsule. The method for attaching the heating and insulation system on the spherical surfaces of a personnel transfer capsule comprises the steps of: attaching the heating elements to the spherical surface of the capsule; applying an adhesive over the spherical surface of the capsule; applying a plurality triangular-shaped spherical segments edge to edge so that the edge of a segment is in parallel alignment with the edge of the adjacent segment. Moreover, the unique system and method of installation, which is the subject matter of the present invention, provides heat to the personnel transfer capsule, a shirt-sleeve environment, thus eliminating the wearing of cumbersome environmental suits.

STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTS OF INVENTION A primary object of the present invention is to provide a heating system for a personnel transfer capsule which will provide a shirt-sleeve environment for personnel of deep submersible diving systems. 7

Another object of the present invention is to provide a heating system .which will eliminate the wearing of Y cumbersome environmental suits.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of the insulation and heating components for the personnel transfer capsule; and

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the method of installation of the heating and insulation elements to a spherical personnel transfer capsule and particularly illustrating the application of triangular spherical sections of insulation material to a partially insulated personnel transfer capsule.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the heating and insulation system 11 comprises a plurality of heating coils or elements 13, a plurality of triangular, preformed insulation segments 15 which are attached to the exterior hull 23 of hemispherical shaped personnel transfer capsule 21 by an adhesive 19. The heating coils or elements 13 are comprised of an inner heater wire, insulation material and an outer copper tubing. The inner heater wire is separated from the outer copper tubing by the insulation material. The heating coils 13 are standard heater wire that is used for standard heating and insulation systems. Three separate elongated strands or cables of heating elements 13 are wrapped and interwoven in a parallel relationship with each other around the exterior hull 23 of capsule 21. The elongated cable of coils 13 may be stored on a reel and applied to exterior hull 23 directly from the reel. Three separate elongated strands of heating coils 13 are woven around the exterior hull 23 of the hemispherical shaped personnel transfer capsule 21 so that-the heating coils or elements 13 give optimum heating in the interior hull wall 17 as well as provide a fail-safe backup heating system. The coils 13 are spaced somewhat parallel to one another and about two inches apart. Coils 13 may be attached to the hull 23 by industrial staples or the like. However, it should be noted that any well known methods of attaching heating elements to a surface, which is to be heated, can be used. This configuration has been found to yield a maximum temperature to the interior hull wall 17 of about 130 F in normal situations.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the heating coils 13 are deliberately curved to permit relative expansion and contraction between the insulation material 15 and the exterior hull 23 ofthe hemispherical shaped personnel transfer capsule 21. Whenever possible, heating coils 13 should cross the weld joints of capsule 21 at nearly right angles to facilitate future weld joint radiographic inspection. The insulation material 15 .is precast into triangularly shaped spherical segments about 18 inches to a side for installation on the exterior hull 23 and over heating coils 13. A Thiokol-like material, commonly used in the aircraft industry to seal riveted joints, may be used to bond the insulation material 15 to the hemispherical shaped exterior hull 23 of capsule 21 Thiokol is the trade name for a polysulfide copolymer which is prepared from sodium tetrasulfide and ethylene dichloride or other organic halides and hereinafter referred to as Thiokol. The insulation material should be about 50 durometer when hardened to allow for thermal expansion. The interior surface of the material 15 in contact with hull 23 is routed so that coils 13 will fit into the routed spaces. This allows material 15 to properly contact exterior hull 13. The proper routing may be accomplished by placing material 15 in the desired position on hull 23 and applying pressure to the exterior surface of material 15 so that a pattern of the coil 13 positions are formed on the interior surface of material 15. The interior surface may then be routed in any well known standard manner.

Cylindrical shaped half circles 29 and 31 of insulation material may be applied around cylindrical skirt 27 sulation material around cylindrical skirt 27.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of attaching a heating and insulation system to the exterior hull of a spherical shaped personnel of transfer capsule 21. This allows the lower portion of 5 transfer capsule comprising the steps of:

transfer capsule 21 to be insulated. It has been found that a syntactic foam, about 1 inch thick, would be the best insulation material for both the hull 23 and skirt ority. A 440-volt three-phase Y-system may be used to operate each of the three heating coils 13. Three'separate heating coils systems may be used with the compatible three-phase Y-system sothat a failure of any one coil will not interrupt the functioning of the other two systems. The system can be operated and maintained by an internal thermostat 25 which will turn the heating system off or on at preselected temperatures. The system could also provide manual operation if desired. The method of installing the heating system 11 to the exterior hull 23 of the personnel transfer capsule 21 comprises the following steps: attaching each of the three continuous heating coils 13 around the exterior hull 23 of the capsule; spacing each heater coil 13 somewhat parallel and about 2 inches apart; applying thiokol bond; attaching a plurality triangular-shaped spherical segments or insulation material 15 to hull 23 by aligning each of the spherical segments 15 so that the edges of one spherical segment 15 is in parallel alignmentwith the-edge of each of its adjacent spherical segments 15, trimming the spherical segments 15 so that they will fit around the viewports 33 and skirt 27, applying cylindrical shaped half circles-29 and 31 of ina. attaching a plurality of heating means each of said heating means being separated from one another to said exterior hull;

b. applying an adhesive means over said exterior hull;

c. attaching a plurality triangular spherical shaped insulation segments to said adhesive material; and wherein d. said plurality of triangular-shaped segments are each aligned edge to edge so that the edge of one triangular-shaped segment is in parallel alignment with the edge of each of its adjacent triangularshaped segments;

e. applying cylindrical circles of insulation material around a cylindrical skirt of the personnel transfer capsule.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said insulation segments are applied to said adhesive means to form an outer insulation covering.

3. The method in claim 1 wherein said insulation segments are applied to a 1-inch thick layer.

4. The method in claim 1 wherein the heating means is a plurality of heating elements each being separated from one another by about 2 inches.

5.v The method in claim 4 wherein said plurality of heating elements are independent heating systems attached to the exterior sphere of the personnel transfer capsule.

6. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said segments are spherical shaped segments and are attached to a hemispherical shape personnel transfer capsule.v

7. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said segments are spherical shaped triangular segments which are attached to said adhesive means and over said exterior hull. 

1. A method of attaching a heating and insulation system to the exterior hull of a spherical shaped personnel transfer capsule comprising the steps of: a. attaching a plurality of heating means each of said heating means being separated from one another to said exterior hull; b. applying an adhesive means over said exterior hull; c. attaching a plurality triangular spherical shaped insulation segments to said adhesive material; and wherein d. said plurality of triangular-shaped segments are each aligned edge to edge so that the edge of one triangular-shaped segment is in parallel alignment with the edge of each of its adjacent triangular-shaped segments; e. applying cylindrical circles of insulation material around a cylindrical skirt of the personnel transfer capsule.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said insulation segments are applied to said adhesive means to form an outer insulation covering.
 3. The method in claim 1 wherein said insulation segments are applied to a 1-inch thick layer.
 4. The method in claim 1 wherein the heating means is a plurality of heating elements each being separated from one another by about 2 inches.
 5. The method in claim 4 wherein said plurality of heating elements are independent heating systems attached to the exterior sphere of the personnel transfer capsule.
 6. The method recited in claim 1 wherein sAid segments are spherical shaped segments and are attached to a hemispherical shape personnel transfer capsule.
 7. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said segments are spherical shaped triangular segments which are attached to said adhesive means and over said exterior hull. 